Sneak Peek - The Last Angel: The Hungry Stars, Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Power's back, been working on some TLA and I have a rough draft done. To that end, we're getting a sneak peek of what to expect. In this chapter, among other places, we check back in on Rally. Turns out a surveillance state quickly notices when one of its citizens is acting oddly.

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Charles sighed. “Is there something I can do for you, agent? Or did you come all this way just to ask more pointless questions?”

“Hopefully not so pointless, doctor.”

Proctor didn’t respond, merely arching an eyebrow with an expectant expression. He hadn’t offered Barnswell a seat, and Peter suspected that that offer would not be coming. Oh well. He hadn’t joined CIS to make friends. He’d done it to protect people like Charles and Anna Proctor – ifthey were as innocent as they claimed.

But how innocent is someone who raises a traitor?

“I’ve told you several times to stay out of the investigation,” Peter reminded the surgeon. “The next time won’t be a warning.”

“Yes, you’ve told me this before.”

“I’m not finished, doctor. I’m reminding you of this for a reason. We’ve been watching you and there’s been some concerns.”

“Such as?”

“Such as you going into the Blue Quarter.”

“There aren’t any restrictions currently in place. I thought I could go where I want in this city.”

“You know what I’m talking about, doctor.”

“PerhapsI don’t.”

“Don’t play coy. It doesn’t suit you.”

“If you’re accusing me of something, then if I’m to defend myself, I should know what it is, shouldn’t I?”

“I’m not required to tell you. Instead, why don’t you tell me what you think I came out here for.”

Charles swirled the scotch in his glass for a moment. He recognized the trap Peter had just set in front of him. “I can only venture,” he said. “That you find something objectionable about who I’ve gone to see.”

“You’ve been seen in the company of Millirysa se Lyu.”

“Is that a problem?”

“How well do you know her?”

“She’s one of Allyria’s friends. They had a falling-out some time ago, but patched things up shortly before Bequeathed’s training cruise.”

“That’s not an answer, doctor.”

“That’s all I have for you. Verrisha don’t open up to humans easily.”

“And yet you’ve gone to see her.”

“She knew my daughter and my daughter’s best friend. The people you’re accusing of mass murder. Of course I’d want to speak with her.” Several other Verrish had reached out to Anna through the clinic, but most just as friends or to express their concern for her situation. Charles had wondered why Millirysa had contacted him inside of Anna. Maybe because he’d been the one pushing so hard to find out the truth, or maybe because Anna’s connections would make CIS look at her first for any sign of subversiveness or improper behaviour.

“Which brings us back to that warning I gave you. I could have you arrested right now for interfering with a CIS investigation, but I’m trying to be nice about this.”

Charles set his glass down. “You’ll forgive me,” he said frostily, “if what I’ve experienced from you so far hasn’t felt nice.”